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Fencing and Duels
History A tradition of fencing was prevalent throughout much of the history of Nezuma and Skobra. Whenever two islands in the archipelago had a dispute that they failed to resolve by negotiations, one party would invariably challenge the other to a duel. The winner of the duel would be the one to advance their agenda. When Nezuma and Skobra were conquered by the Island Union, this tradition spread to the primary IU member nations as a form of recreation. Over the last century fencing had become increasingly popular, though its use as a means of conflict resolution was mostly forgotten. The Ingenuity Facilities The rec room on the ''Ingenuity'' contains many foam swords, which are augmented by projectors into the room discharge an illusory (but significant) shock upon contact with the blade. As a result, they have been dubbed "holo-swords" by the inhabitants of the ship. Note that this effect can only occur in the rec room; if the swords are removed from the room they become mere shaped foam. Not long after the launch of the Ingenuity, several passengers and crew banded together to form a fencing club. Dueling Although back on Unda the practice was rare, passengers on the Ingenuity have begun using duels as a method of conflict resolution again. This began during the time of heightened tensions following the Final Transmission, as a method of staving off fistfights or worse -- instead, those with a dispute could move to the rec room and duel it out. Doing so became less common as people adapted to life after the transmission, but still occurs today. Rules and Etiquette For those using the holo swords in the rec room, the Fencing Club’s rules are as follows: * Both parties must clearly and verbally consent before a duel may begin. * Do not hit your opponent in the head, neck, or crotch. * If your limb (arm or leg) gets hit, you may not longer use that limb for the duration of the duel. * The match ends when one of the opponents is hit in the torso, with the victor being the one who touched the opponent. * Do not remove the swords from the rec room. The etiquette is as follows: * It is rude to attack your opponent when their back is turned or when they are distracted. * You should salute your opponent before and after a duel. The salute is performed by placing your free hand behind your back. You take your sword and point it out from your side. You then move your hilt over your heart before pointing the sword towards your opponent. Afterwards, you bow as you point your sword back to the side, with your eyes looking at the ground as you bow. * It is considered disrespectful to look at the opponent as you bow. Nezumans considered duels to be a ritual of honor; bowing while averting your eyes showed that you trusted your opponent to be honorable and to not attack you while you were demonstrating courtesy. Bowing while keeping your eyes on the opponent suggested that you did not trust them.